A sperm whale dives from the surface to great depths the air in its lungs progessively shinks until the lungs are completely collapsed. when the whale ascends its lungs return to their former size. use boyles law to explain this phenomenon.
So when the whale goes farther in the water the pressure increases and the volume of his lungs decreases. When the whale ascends, the pressure decreases and the volume of his lungs increases. Does that make sense?
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so is this an inverse relationship?
Boyle's Law states that under constant temperature, the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume. In the case of the sperm whale, Boyle's Law can help explain the phenomenon of lung collapse and re-expansion during deep dives and ascents.
When the sperm whale dives, it experiences increased water pressure and goes to great depths. As the water pressure increases, the air in the whale's lungs is compressed, following Boyle's Law. The increased pressure causes the volume of air in the lungs to decrease. This shrinking of the air volume allows the whale to dive more efficiently by reducing buoyancy and making it easier to descend.
As the whale ascends, the water pressure decreases. According to Boyle's Law, as the pressure decreases, the volume of gas increases. In the case of the sperm whale, the reduction in water pressure on its ascent causes the air in its lungs to expand. As the lungs return to their former size, the whale can regain buoyancy and make it easier to come back to the surface.
So, Boyle's Law explains that when the sperm whale dives, the increasing water pressure compresses the air in its lungs, causing them to collapse. And when it ascends, the decreasing water pressure allows the air in its lungs to expand, returning them to their original size. This adaptation enables the whale to navigate deep diving and ascending more efficiently.